Massive Dev Chart Timer vs Lightme
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Massive Dev Chart Timer
This app provides an offline film development chart and a multi-step timer for photographers. It includes customizable agitation, darkroom themes, and support for various developing and fixing steps. It also offers automated compensation for development time and temperature.
- Offline film development chart
- Multi-step timer with sound notifications
- Customizable agitation schemes
- Darkroom themes
- Dilution mixer
- Automated time/temperature compensation
Read full descriptionHide full description
The Massive Dev Chart is the world's largest film development chart with easy to use multi step timer and darkroom support for iPhone and iPad. Watch the instructional video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P915z6THiY8. *** Features *** • Offline copy of The Massive Dev Chart in your pocket • Multi Step Timer with sound notifications • Customizable agitation scheme • Darkroom themes • Dilution Mixer • Support for two-step development and two-step fixing • Support for optional hypoclear and photo flo steps • Automated development time/temperature compensation
Lightme
This app helps analog photographers meticulously track their film rolls, shots, and development processes. It allows for detailed logging of gear and consumables, with features for data visualization and export. Users can also manage film holders and add post-development notes with photos of final results.
- Log film rolls, shots, and development
- Track gear and consumables
- Data visualization with graphs/histograms
- Data export in JSON/CSV formats
- Manage large format film holders
- Post-development notes with photos
Read full descriptionHide full description
Lightme - Logbook is a clean and powerful tool to record and keep track of your rolls, shots, developments, and all the gear that revolves around shooting film — from 35mm to medium and large format. The idea behind it is simple: logging a shot should take seconds, not steal time from actually shooting. Lightme pairs a beautiful, immediate interface with enough depth and flexibility to fit any workflow, whether you shoot a couple of rolls a year or fill several large format holders in an afternoon. LOGGING, EFFORTLESSLY • Log a shot in seconds: aperture, shutter speed, focal length, filters, bellows correction, measured EV, notes and more • Log straight from your wrist with the companion Apple Watch app, with Siri and Shortcuts, or from the home screen and lock screen widgets • Together with the Lightme Lightmeter app, your meter readings can prefill a new shot automatically • Every shot can carry a location and address, a preview photo, and later its final scan, plus a star rating ROLLS, SHEETS AND DEVELOPMENTS • Track rolls from loading to unloading, with film stocks from a growing database and a processing pipeline: waiting for development, off to the lab, back from the lab, to be scanned, scanned • Keep detailed development notes — developer, dilution, time, temperature, agitation — for rolls and single sheets alike, including push/pull (N+ / N-) development • Add post-development notes and a photo of the final result to rolls, sheets and individual shots YOUR GEAR, ORGANIZED • Cameras and lenses with nicknames, formats (including custom formats you define), pinhole and bellows flags, custom shutter speeds and selectable shutter step sizes • Roll film backs and lens filters with their exposure compensation • Film holders and backs can be marked as compatible with specific cameras, and everything is searchable from a single bar LARGE FORMAT, COVERED • Keep track of your film holders with three states — unloaded, loaded and exposed — always knowing which film is inside each one • Group holders together and follow every sheet from exposure through development INSIGHTS FROM YOUR DATA • Build and save custom queries, filtering by date (fixed or rolling windows), camera, lens, film stock, format, ISO, aperture, shutter speed, focal length and notes • Visualize results with histograms — by camera, lens, film stock, shutter speed, aperture, focal length, ISO, format, rating or hour of the day — alongside aggregate stats like mean aperture and average exposure • Save the queries you use most and re-run them anytime YOUR DATA, YOURS • Everything syncs privately through iCloud across your iPhone and iPad • Export any selection of data as CSV or JSON, or as a beautifully formatted PDF with customizable columns and a contact-sheet mode, bundled with your images in a single ZIP • Batch-write shooting metadata (EXIF) onto your scans — for a whole roll at once, or by matching files from the Files app • Viewing and exporting your data is free, forever; adding and editing is unlocked with a one-time purchase or a subscription AND MORE • Full-text search, favourites and an archive to keep things tidy • Available in English, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Simplified Chinese • A roadmap of what's coming next lives right in the app — new very cool features are on the way :) If you have any suggestion or issue, write me at lightme.apps@gmail.com Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Lightme at Free against Massive Dev Chart Timer's $9.99. Lightme also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.7) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 5 months). Massive Dev Chart Timer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8) and chart position (#21 vs unranked). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Lightme is free to download; Massive Dev Chart Timer costs $9.99 up front. Lightme sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Massive Dev Chart Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.
Lightme holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 54 and 101 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Massive Dev Chart Timer's written reviews are positive against 74% of Lightme's.
Massive Dev Chart Timer ships an update every 5 months, Lightme every 9 days. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.
| Parameter | Massive Dev Chart Timer | Lightme |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.7 (54 ratings) | 4.8 (101 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 70.8% of reviews | 73.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 54 | 101 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | #21 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Freestyle Photo & Imaging | Giuseppe Bertolini |
Customer experience
Massive Dev Chart Timer
Lightme
Bugs and requests
Massive Dev Chart Timer
Reported bugs
12 issues- HC110 dilution section displays only letters, not ratios
- Dilution ratios not calculating when solution amount adjusted
- App crashes after selecting film speed
- Crashes on iPad with new update
- Timer display shows three dots instead of seconds
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- UI elements overlap on older iPhone models
- Safelight mode white banner blocks display on iPad
- Crashes during development process
- Home screen line emits bright light in darkroom mode
- App incompatible with newer iOS versions on older devices
- Notes don't word wrap properly
- Inconsistent film/developer availability between iPhone and iPad
Requested features
15 requests- Color film support (C-41, E-6, ECN-2 processes)
- Search functionality by film brand/name
- Ability to add custom process steps (presoak, toning)
- Individual agitation control per development stage
- Continuous agitation option
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- Volume calculator for stop bath and fixer
- Background timer functionality
- Custom step name editing
- Pull/push development times
- Stand development support with hour-based timing
- Apple Watch app
- Syncing between iPhone and iPad
- Fahrenheit temperature option
- Additional common film stocks (Portra, Fuji 400H, Ektar)
- Ability to add films not in database to custom times
Lightme
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Massive Dev Chart Timer
No in-app purchases
Lightme
- 1 Cappuccino7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Focaccia Barese7 Days trial$12.991 Year
- Spaghetti Carbonara7 Days trial$29.991 Year
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Homemade Pizza party7 Days trial$49.991 Year
- A smile :)Free
- Box of Prosecco$59.99
- Fuel for my '90s camper$119.99
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Terme for two$239.99
Questions
Is Massive Dev Chart Timer free?
Is Lightme free?
Which has better reviews, Massive Dev Chart Timer or Lightme?
Do Massive Dev Chart Timer or Lightme have ads?
Which is updated more often, Massive Dev Chart Timer or Lightme?
Other comparisons















